Nan has a mixed technology, investing and entrepreneurial background and has been an active early stage venture investor for over a decade. He is interested in the application of cutting edge technologies including computer vision, AI/ML, NLP, robotics, and automation systems.
Most recently, Nan was a Managing Director at Obvious Ventures where he lead the frontier tech practice and invested in numerous companies applying core technologies towards industrial problems. This includes Dexterity, a robotics-powered automation platform; Recursion Pharma (NASDAQ: RXRX), a deep learning approach to cellular phenotyping; SwiftScale Biologics (acq. by Resilience), a biologics manufacturing platform; Planet (NYSE: PL), operating the largest constellation of satellites for Earth imaging; Octave, a modern mental health solution; Iterative Scopes, applying computer vision towards GI disease; AI Fleet, a full-stack trucking company powered by data science; Dyno Therapeutics, a gene therapy delivery discovery engine; LabGenius, a protein drug discovery company; Anagenex, a drug discovery company leveraging DNA encoded libraries; Gandeeva Therapeutics, a cryo-EM microscopy platform; and Inato, a sites marketplace for distributed clinical trials.
Previously, Nan managed early stage tech investments for Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors where he invested in frontier technologies including cryptocurrencies, bioinformatics, virtual reality, industrial robotics, and space tech. Earlier in his career, Nan was an investor at Bain Capital Ventures, a management consultant at Bain & Company, and a PM at Microsoft.
Nan holds a B.S.E. in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Michigan and taught a course for 5 years at Stanford on applied AI and venture capital alongside Zavain - course notes can be found here. Nan is a first-generation immigrant from China and grew up in Detroit. He enjoys music, photography, culture, puzzles, all Detroit sports, and general nerdom.
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